Hoot suite: 'Owl cams' provide all-access pass into winged soap opera

It's all documented for the world to see, within the confines of a 3-foot-long box.

Port of Stockton officials recently took old security cameras that were no longer serving any purpose and mounted them inside three owl boxes built over the past several years.

One of these "owl cams" went live this week. It shows a female barn owl who spends most of her time perched over seven eggs.

The eggs should hatch within a few weeks, which is when the action will really begin.

But even now, the infrared camera gives us an intimate look at what is really an intelligent and affectionate species.

Mama spends her days guarding the nest, staring at the camera and occasionally preening herself. After dark, Papa drops in, carrying a squirming rat or mouse which Mama devours whole in her gratitude. They then - ahem - get busy.

Although just now going live, the owl cams have already proved to be a social media hit. One still shot posted by the Port earlier this week earned 186 "likes" on Facebook.

Port Director Richard Aschieris was out to dinner with a friend last week when he pulled out his phone. Together, they watched a clip of a helpless rodent being eaten alive.

"One of the little factoids I found interesting is that each nesting box is good for 3,000 mice or rats," Aschieris said Thursday.

Which brings us to the real point here. In addition to public education and, dare we say, entertainment, the port wants to keep the rodent population down using as few chemicals and poisons as possible.

The port is protected by levees. Rodents burrow into levees. More owls mean fewer rodents and a safer port.

The boxes will also help make up for owl nesting sites that have been lost as older buildings on the property have been razed, said Jeff Wingfield, the port's environmental manager. In all, 11 of the 15 boxes are occupied by owls.

The solar-powered cameras are expected to be left in place indefinitely. Though only one was live-streaming on Thursday, Wingfield said the intention is to get another camera online in the very near future.

Just wait for when those eggs hatch.

Despite that talk about violence and sex, barn owls are a pretty wholesome breed. Pairs mate for life; families are especially affectionate and are known to cuddle together in their nests, which should be something to see.

"We're excited about this, and we hope the public enjoys this," Wingfield said. "We certainly are."

Contact reporter Alex Breitler at (209) 546-8295 or abreitler@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/breitlerblog and on Twitter @alexbreitler.